The San Pedro River emerges from just south of Sierra Vista, AZ and flows north for approximately 150 miles where it meets the Gila River. The only river left undammed in the Southwest, it is a major conservation corridor and home to hundreds of species of native and migratory birds and many diverse kinds of wildlife such as beaver and coati. Following are stories of life along this river and the effort to save it. Some of these articles are courtesy of the Friends of the San Pedro River. Please consider joining the conservation effort. If Birdwatching is your interest, please visit our 10 Best Birding Hotspots in Southern Arizona!
You can use the newly renovated and now open again, San Pedro House as a starting point for your adventures, hiking, birding and more. Cottonwoods offer plenty of shade in the summer. You may find docent tours offered from time to time to some of the more interesting spots along the San Pedro, such as the Clanton Ranch, Millville, and the infamous Charleston. These tours are usually free to members.
In addition to birdwatching, there are several places within the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area, SPRNCA, worth visiting. Fairbank is a ghost town on the San Pedro River about 10 miles west of Tombstone. The Murray Springs Clovis Site is where Paleo-Indians camped while hunting large mammals. Not far is a Mammoth-Kill site where these Stone Age people killed and butchered, not only mammoths, but also camels, tapirs, bison, and bear. This they excelled at despite themselves being hunted by such monsters as Sabre-Tooth Tigers.
Below is a list of other San Pedro River stories that might interest you.
- Cottonwoods: The Largest Trees in Arizona
- How the San Pedro River Got Its Name
- Colonel William C. Greene: A Death in the Family
- The Return of Beaver to the San Pedro River
- Bird Walks: Sierra Vista Environmental Park
- Plants of the San Pedro River
- Coati of the San Pedro River
- Fall Colors in the Huachucas
- The Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo
- Plants of the San Pedro River and the Borderlands
- Arthropods of Southern Arizona
- A Video History of the San Pedro River Area
- Exploring the Millville Ruins with the FSPR
- A Death In Charleston, Arizona Territory
- A Hike to Charleston Cemetery with the FSPR
- A Trip to the Clanton Ranch
- Our Lady Of The Sierras
- A Hike to the Ghost Town of Charleston Arizona Territory
- Fairbank AZ: Ghost Town
- Summer on the San Pedro River
- The Diminishing San Pedro River
- Our River of Life: San Pedro River Video
- Fairbank: A Ghost Town Slideshow
- The Creosote or Greasewood: Good for What Ails You!
- The Return of the Beaver to the San Pedro River
- Reintroducing the Beaver to the San Pedro River
- The Sobaipuri and their Descendants, the O’odham
- Javelina of the San Pedro River
- Saving the San Pedro River
- Beaver Scenes from the San Pedro River
- Green Kingfisher Sighting on the San Pedro River
- Birds of the San Pedro River Region
- Down By The River B&B: A Review!
- A Day At The San Pedro River
- Casa de San Pedro Bed & Breakfast
- San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area: Photos by Francie Hills
- Guided Hike to Charleston Ruins
- Reptiles of the San Pedro River